My One and Only
by Living in a fantasy
Summary: You are everything to me. My life…it would be nothing without you. The only thing I need is for you to be with me…always. You’re all I’ve ever needed; and you’re the only one I’ll ever love. Sequel to Guardian Angel
1. Sunburns

**AN: Alright, here is the story so many of you have been waiting for. Before we begin I must make two things very clear. ONE: This probably will not be updated on a weekly basis like my other stories have been. It will kind of depend on when ideas come to me. And TWO: In case you missed it last time, this is not a plot driven fanfiction like Savior and GA. These will be more loosly connected oneshots, mostly fluffy with maybe some angst thrown in for fun. For those of you who enjoyed the last two chapters of GA this story will be for you. For something more plot driven look at A Learning Experience.**

**This is the sequal to Guardian Angel, which was the sequel to Savior. It can be read without reading the others, but previous events may be referenced to in this one.**

**Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, you've made me feel very special in this fandom. So without anymore rambling, onto the story!**

**Disclaimer: I will say this once, I don't own Death Note.**

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Chapter one: Sunburns

The summer heat was worse here. It was often sunny, hot, and very humid. It was a sticky heat, the type of heat that started off low but made you hot anyway. It was the type of heat that made your body feel as if it was on fire. The type of heat that made you lazy, ill, and promised sunburn if you lingered in it too long.

In retrospect, I don't know why I decided to go to the beach with Mello.

We were on a celebration trip right now. We had finally bought our house, but right now it was going through several touchups, hence the vacation. After this week we would have a lot to do, from shopping to decorating to just getting used to having rooms with four walls and a door. It had been a long time since either of us lived in a house.

We had taken trips to several places after Wammy's, but we never really spent much time in America. I suppose one could argue that Hawaii isn't exactly America since it's an island, but most people are idiots anyway.

There was one problem with our location, which is why I think Mello tried to avoid areas mostly populated by beaches. I was a redhead. I'm rather fond of my hair myself, and I know Mello is too, but the fact of the matter is redheads simply have trouble in sunlight. It's not a stereotype; it is simply biology and logic. Redheads are very susceptible to sunburns, and rather bad ones at that.

Not only that but I had never been particularly good with heat. I managed okay of course, but if I was exposed to heat and humidity for too long I would start to feel ill. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke were all very real possibilities for me. Luckily I had never experience the latter, but I had gotten pretty close to the former before.

We hadn't ventured to the beach in actual daylight yet. Mello argued, but I didn't count now, during sunset, as daylight. It was very romantic though.

With not only money but L's influence, we had been able to reserve a much more private area. This particular beach was not even open to the public. I smiled and leaned against Mello, watching as the sun sank beneath the horizon. "Mello, let's go to the beach tomorrow."

"We're at the beach," he murmured, lightly toying with my hair and not turning to face me.

I shook my head. "I mean really go to the beach. We'll take towels, a picnic lunch, the works.

"I don't think that's a good idea Matt," Mello told me. "You always said redheads aren't meant to be in sunlight. You're already bad enough in the heat without adding sunburn to it."

"I'll be fine," I reassured him. "Besides I know you want to go."

"Not that badly."

"Come on Mello, please?" I whined, clinging to his arm. "It'll be fun. We can swim in the ocean and eat our lunch and sit on our towels and read and go in the water. And this could be our only chance to do it without being stared at by other people."

I couldn't see it from where I was sitting, but I'm sure his eyes narrowed at that last part. "I don't care what those self-righteous assholes think about you and me."

I kissed his bare shoulder gently. "Neither do I, but this way you won't lose your temper and beat anyone to a pulp or shoot anyone."

"Stop exaggerating! I've never shot anyone!"

"You would have if you had a gun at the time."

"Well that is irrelevant because I did not have a gun, and therefore I did not shoot that arrogant prick that was harassing you while I was inside picking up dinner." It was obvious by his tone that he was still bitter about that particular experience.

I leaned up to capture his lips. He responded instantly, arms drawing me closer. I moaned slightly as I pulled away, shifting so I was sitting on his lap. I leaned in for another kiss, eyes fluttering shut. We continued these activities for several minutes before I pulled back, laying my head against his chest. "I appreciate you always looking out for me. You know I love you. I know that you'd like to spend a day at the beach. Let me do this for you. Please?"

"If it's that important to you," he said finally.

The next day we took our towels, lunch and a cooler down to the beach. It was only noon, but it was already very warm. Mello had pulled his hair back into a ponytail which I found absolutely adorable. We set up our towels and sat down to enjoy the day.

It was rather relaxing at first. We sat around and joked, exchanged kisses, and set out lunch. There was something fun about eating at the beach. Both of us stayed hydrated with the water we had brought in the cooler, and I was having a good time.

Mello applied more sunscreen to me every hour, hoping it would stop me from burning. I wasn't sure how much it would help, but it was worth a try.

We had never gone to the beach when we were growing up. With our home lives, it just hadn't been possible. My dad barely left the house unless it was to gamble or buy more alcohol, he would never take me to a beach. My mother certainly wouldn't take me either, since she hated me just as much as my dad.

At least Mello's mother hadn't hated him, not like she liked him all that much either. Either way we had never gotten to do the standard kid things at the beach. We made up for it now, constructing a large sandcastle far away from the ocean. We sculpted doors and windows and decorated with rocks and shells. It was pretty magnificent, at least in my eyes.

My favorite part was playing in the water. The ocean was cool and refreshing, and I never thought I could enjoy simple swimming so much. Jumping over waves was amusing, and just attempting to dunk Mello led to an all out water fight (which in the end we agreed was a tie).

Several hours later I was getting tired, and we had settled in the sand. I was just relaxing, but Mello was reading. That's when I started to feel my skin burning.

It wasn't bad at first, but it was there. As the hour passed it started to get worse. I started to get very warm as well, after not being in the water for a while. I sighed to myself, recognizing the feeling. I wasn't a stranger to burns, so I asked Mello to put more sunscreen on my shoulders and back, in the hopes that it would keep the burn at bay.

It didn't seem to help. My skin felt like it was on fire. Not all of it, but my arms and shoulders were burning, despite the amount of sunscreen I had on. I was having fun, but the sun was killing me. I shifted uncomfortably, trying to get my skin away from the sun. Finally I stood. "I'm going in the water," I told him.

The water soothed my skin instantly. At least I knew I wasn't burned yet, or the water would have just hurt. Or maybe I was just so hot that I wasn't noticing. Either way it just felt nice, and I relaxed in the water.

"Enjoying the beach?" Mello's voice came from behind me. I smiled and turned to face him, splashing him playfully.

"Yes. Are you?" An answer wasn't needed though, I could see it in his eyes that he was having fun. I was glad. It wasn't like we'd spend many more days at the beach. I wasn't willing to suffer burns all that often.

We returned to our towels not long after. Mello returned to his book and I sat back, watching the white clouds in the sky. It was a beautiful day…now if only those clouds would move a little closer to the sun…

It was nearly unbearable now. Heat was simply radiating from my arms, and especially my shoulders. Mello seemed so relaxed though, and I didn't want to bother him. Despite only wearing swim trunks, and despite the water I had been drinking, I was really feeling overheated. Several hours had passed and we'd probably head back soon anyway, so I took another drink of water and tried to relax.

Not even fifteen minutes later, Mello glanced at me and said we should probably pack up. We gathered our stuff and walked back to the cabin.

"You're getting red," Mello remarked once we were inside.

"I'm fine," I lied, sitting gingerly on the couch. It wasn't as bad as I had expected. Despite only wearing swim trunks because of the heat, I hadn't gotten burned on my legs at all. They were getting a little pink, but they weren't hurting me. That was shocking.

Sadly though that was the only place not really hurting. My chest was feeling kind of warm, as was my face, but my arms and shoulders were still burning. The skin around them felt tight, and they hurt even though I didn't have a shirt on.

It got worse as time went by. Even inside the air conditioning I felt so hot. I had tried to lay back on the couch but my back had exploded, so now I was just sitting up, trying to stop the pain.

"I told you it was a bad idea," Mello said, leaning in to kiss me carefully on the lips while making sure not to touch my skin. 'I'll go get the aloe," he told me, then vanished into the bathroom. He emerged a minute later and sat behind me, pouring some aloe on his hand and beginning to spread it on my shoulder. I cringed away; the aloe was so cold on my skin. Mello tightened his grip around my wrist and continued to spread it over my burns.

Normally I'd enjoy having his hands all over me, but now it just hurt. "Mello it hurts," I whimpered pathetically.

He kissed my head softly. "I know baby, but you'll be fine. I think we should avoid beaches for a while though."

"But you had fun, I could tell," I protested. "I don't want you to not enjoy yourself because of me."

He paused, looking me directly in the eyes. "I don't enjoy myself when you're in pain. I'd rather sit inside and watch you contently play your games than enjoy a day at the beach but see you miserable for days afterwards. One day was enough."

I leaned my head on his shoulder, relaxing now that the aloe had removed the majority of the pain, at least for several hours. His arm settled carefully around my waist and I closed my eyes.

Despite the burn, it had been a fun day. I certainly would not be suffering a sunburn for anyone but Mello though.

/…/…/…/

**AN: And chapter one is finished! Good thing too, after seeing Harry Potter tonight who knows when I would have gotten back to this xD I'm so excited you guys.**

**So I hope everyone enjoyed the fluff. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Home Sweet Home

**AN: Sorry for the wait, but I did warn you. A Learning Experience has been taking up a lot of my time, but it is almost done. Sadly though I suspect college starting is going to prevent me from writing as often. Regardless I finally have another chapter for you. I hope you enjoy it.**

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Chapter 2: Home Sweet Home

It was our first day in our new house, and I was excited. I smiled at Mello as we walked towards the porch, reaching out to take his hand. He smiled at me and unlocked the door, opening it for me and following me in.

We had been inside before, but just to instruct the movers on where we wanted our furniture. Now the house was completely furnished for us, and I couldn't help the grin on m face. Our very own home…finally.

It was spacious, the front room complete with dark brown wood flooring and a staircase leading upstairs. Slowly we made our way from room to room. We had a living room for gaming, movies, and relaxation. We had a kitchen and combined dining room, and now that Mello could cook pretty well we would actually use it sometimes. We had two bathrooms, one downstairs and one upstairs. Mello had his own study, for reading and working on the case, although we had agreed to split the room and use the other half for my computer station as well. There were two bedrooms, though we would only need one.

I loved our room. It was simple but big, with a large window to let in plenty of sunlight. I jumped onto the bed, stretching out, quite happy with home comfortable it was.

The bed dipped as Mello climbed on as well, straddling me and leaning down for a kiss. I obliged, but pulled away quickly. "Not now, I have something I want to show you."

I led him out of our room and towards the second bedroom, opening the door. I had planned this room in secret for him, transforming it from a bedroom to a music room.

I had bought a beautiful grand piano. Why not after all? We could afford it, and now away from the prying eyes and ears of Wammy students, Mello could play as he pleased. He always tried to play it off like he didn't really enjoy playing, but I knew he did. The look in his eyes, the gentle way he stroked the keys, the smile…it was impossible for him to hide it.

I had planned the music room just for him. It was on the second story, and the room was spacious with good acoustics. The piano was in front of a large glass window overlooking our yard, and beside the piano I had arranged several plush couches, so I could stretch out and watch him play. Right now the deep red curtains were pushed aside, letting sunlight stream into the room. Mello stood beside me, speechless, just staring.

I smiled and turned toward him, giving him a peck on the cheek. "I thought you might like it."

He slowly walked into the room, hands trailing across the piano before finally stopping on the keys. He looked at me again, still silent, but I could tell he loved it. "Play something," I urged.

He nodded numbly, sitting down, hands relaxing on the keys. His hands began moving slowly, hesitating, until he found his stride and began to play more quickly. I smiled and sat on the couch behind him, watching his skilled hands move across the keys.

It was beautiful to listen to, as it always was when Mello played. I wasn't a huge fan of classical music, but I could not help but be moved whenever he played. His face relaxed, and he always looked so content. He could put so much life into his music.

He played several songs, growing more and more used to the keys as he went. Finally he stopped and looked at me.

"Hey Matt…come here."

I stood, walking to his side. He was still looking at the piano, and he finally looked up and met my eyes. "This is something I've been working on for a while, ever since we first got together."

I nodded. "Okay…"

He moved over, giving me room to sit beside him. I did so, watching as his hands rested on the keys. "I wrote it for you so…" he trailed off and began to play.

It started off slow, and then quickly gained speed. The song was simple but sweet. It was romantic but not overly so. The notes flew from his fingers, never faltering, gaining in intensity then slowing once more, growing softer. I looked at his face, drawn in concentration, trying not to make a single error. The music began to grow again, his fingers moving faster on the keys as the song grew in intensity. Then suddenly, it slowed down once more, playing the now familiar melody again, but soften and more gently. His playing continued to slow, finally hitting the last chord and the final several notes before letting it drift into silence.

"It was beautiful Mel," I told him softly. He smiled back shyly, something so rare that I couldn't help but stare back at him. Mello is almost never shy.

I leaned in, capturing his lips with my own. I slowly lifted my hand, placing it gently on his cheek, hooking my thumb underneath his chin to keep his face angled towards my own. He responded in turn, putting both his arms around my waist. I put a steady hand on his shoulder and continued kissing him. I simply could never get enough of him.

We exchanged kisses for a few more minutes before breaking apart slowly. He gave me a smile then stood, pulling me up with him. "Come to the living room. I have a surprise for you as well."

I followed him. We had only glanced inside before, but now he led me straight in, around to the TV and the cabinet beneath it. He opened it for me and I gaped.

All my video game consoles were sitting there, hooked up. I don't know how he had made them fit, but he had. He even had my N64 set up and waiting. I turned and stared at him. "Where did you find this? I didn't know we kept all my older systems."

"Well you played them all the time. Plus lately you've been whining about that sixty four thing or whatever."

"Oh Zelda how I have missed you," I murmured softly. "So does that mean all my old games are here?"

He nodded towards a chest. "In there."

I hugged him tightly and he laughed. "It's so easy to please you." He kissed my cheek and pulled away. "Now get your hands off me and let me go cook dinner. I want us to have something nice our first night here."

I complied without much resistance, quickly going through my games to find what I wanted. Finally Zelda Majora's Mask appeared to me and I quickly put it in, starting a new game.

I played with a feeling of nostalgia, enjoying the familiar scenes and music. If I had done a speed through I may have finished close to dinner time, but I wanted to play it straight through without skipping everything.

"Matt, dinner is ready."

"Just a second…" I mutter, striking an owl statue with my sword.

"I spent over an hour cooking so get in the kitchen."

"Come on Mels…do you really want the moon to destroy Clock Town? Those poor townspeople don't deserve this."

"Get your ass off the couch and come eat dinner."

I chuckled to myself and quickly played the song of time, turning off my system once it had saved. I followed Mello and sat down at the table, smiling at the dinner set before us. He really had outdone himself this time, making grilled chicken with potatoes and corn. Yes it was a lovely meal indeed.

"I'm so glad you cook Mello."

He rolled his eyes, taking a bite of chicken. "Well if you weren't completely hopeless at it, I wouldn't have bothered learning."

"I'm not completely hopeless," I argued.

"You almost burned down the apartment trying to heat up a can of soup."

"….."

"I rest my case," he said smirking.

"Fine. I'll just have to learn and cook you dinner then!"

He looked pained. "Please don't."

I pouted. "I can bake that cake you like so much!"

"That's baking, not cooking. Do not cook. I am not letting you near the stove," he deadpanned.

"Fine," I huffed. "I'll just leave the cooking to the wife, as it should be."

I could feel the glare he was sending me. "Excuse me?"

I smirked. "You heard me."

He growled, stabbing his chicken viciously. I took a bite of potatoes, not looking at him.

This was how it was supposed to be. I was spending my first night in my new house with Mello, eating dinner, talking, and just having a good time. We could live here, in an apartment, even back on the streets, and it would be home. Home was wherever Mello was.

"Once we finish dinner I'll _show_ you who the girl in this relationship is," he growled, lips turning up in a smug smirk.

I ate dinner is quickly as I could. "Well?" I questioned, pushing away from the table.

He smirked and sat on my lap, kissing me roughly. "Come on, let's go break our new bed in," he said after pulling back, taking my wrist and dragging me towards the stairs.

I had a feeling I was going to like it here.

/…/…/…/

**AN: I found Majora's Mask at State Fair and had to buy it. I've missed it so much and I am slightly addicted to it. Also the piece Mello plays for Matt is, in my mind, River Flows in You by Yiruma. It's a lovely piano piece.**


	3. A Day Out

AN: I know it has been ages. I'm sorry! College is really stressing me out and I don't have much time to write. It is a lot different from high school. Anyway I have slowly been working on a new story that you should see at some point, and I have a Christmas fic planned so that'll be here at some point. Until then enjoy your fluff, and Happy Thanksgiving.

Chapter 3: A Day Out

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I was happily pushing buttons on my DS when Mello flopped down beside me, leaning close and staring at me with a determined smirk on his face. I ignored him the best I could for the moment because the bumblebee spider like creatures falling around me were getting harder to navigate around. I tensed and pushed the buttons frantically as one almost landed on me. One more hit and I was dead.

Mello leaned closer, blond strands of hair falling lightly on my shoulder. I didn't move, trying to navigate the moving platforms as two more creatures fell from the sky. I was going to avoid them and get to the castle so Princess Peach could be fucking useless and get dragged away by a baby dinosaur half her size. What a failure. I didn't understand why Mario even wanted to save her anymore since he never got anything out of it.

His chin was on my shoulder now. "Matty," he breathed, and I nearly died from him distracting me. I recovered though, not pausing in my playing.

"What is it Mels?"

He nuzzled into my neck, placing a soft kiss on my throat. "Let's go out Matty. It's a nice day and it'll be getting cold soon."

"Do you really want to? Think of all those useless people you'll have to interact with," I muttered distractedly. I was almost at the end of the level.

His lips pressed more insistently against my throat and I automatically tilted my head to give him better access. I inwardly cursed myself because this act encouraged him to nibble gently. My eyes fluttered shut only a moment, but it was enough time for one of the creatures to land on Mario. "Fuck," I growled. I still had more lives left, but I knew Mello wouldn't leave me alone. If anything he would grow more persistent. I turned off my DS, setting it next to me on the couch.

I could feel his smirk against my neck. He moved to my lap then, blinking innocently at me. I snorted at the thought and he chuckled lightly in response. "Come on Matt. In winter we'll barely leave the house. We can go out to eat or to the movies…or maybe for a walk through the park."

I made a show of considering it, but both of us already knew he had won. "Yeah sure Mel, let's go."

He smiled then, leaning in to peck me on the lips before standing. "You're wearing long sleeves so I doubt you'll need a coat. Let's go!" He grabbed my hand and pulled me up, dragging me towards the door. He paused, leaving me a moment and returning with a digital camera. We had just bought it recently once he realized we had no pictures of each other. He grabbed his keys to his bike and led me outside.

It really was very nice outside. I followed him to his bike as he got on. I sat behind him, slipping my hands around his waist. "Where to?" he asked.

"You're the one who wants to go out. You pick," I told him, resting my head against his back. I felt him nod and moments later we were off.

It didn't take us more than fifteen minutes to reach the park. There were a few people milling around since it was so nice out, and Mello wordlessly slipped his hand into mine, intertwining our fingers and leading us onto the path.

I had to admit it was really nice to be walking with him. The sun was out and there was a soft breeze. I heard the sound of laughter and turned, watching three children play tag not far away. It was good to see that there could be children free of worries, free to just be children, unlike Mello and I had been.

I blinked when I heard the camera go off, turning to look at Mello who was grinning at the picture. "Don't take dumb pictures of me without telling me!"

"Don't be that way. Look, you're beautiful," he said, shoving the camera under my face. I blushed at the sugary compliment and took the camera from his grasp. I put an arm around his shoulder, dragging him closer to me, and held the camera in front of us. I waited a moment for him to get ready before I pressed the button. I quickly looked at the picture, pleased with the result. He took the camera from me now, copying my actions. He leaned in at the last second though and kissed me on the cheek as the camera went off.

My face heated again as he chuckled. I shoved him lightly in response to his laughter, and he shoved me back. The shoving match escalated until both of us are rolling on the ground, laughing. He ends up on top of me, and he leans down to place a gentle kiss on my lips. I had just started to respond when a gruff voice comes from behind Mello.

"Excuse me sirs, but I am going to have to ask you to move along. You are disturbing the other visitors." I feel Mello tense above me at the words, and I look up to see a cop standing there. He seemed professional but I could sense his distaste. Mello stood abruptly, grabbing my hand and pulling me up also.

"Why should we? We've done nothing wrong. There's a couple making out on that bench over there that is quickly escalating to second base and I don't see them being told to move along." His voice is cold and I squeeze his hand in warning.

"It is not your place to question my authority, unless you would like to receive a ticket for-"

"For what? Being in a park? I don't think you can do that until closing hours, as ridiculous as it is to get a ticket for being in a fucking park," he interrupted.

The cop opened his mouth to say something but I tugged on Mello's arm, pulling him away. "We're going."

Mello tried to protest but I pulled him away, dragging him away from the cop who was glaring after us. We were just passing a couple of teenage boys when I heard it.

"Fucking fags."

I tightened my grip on Mello's arm as he whirled around. "Want to say that again punk?" he snarled. One of the guys actually took a step back from the rage on Mello's face. I didn't blame him; Mello was terrifying when he was angry. When they didn't respond he took a step forward. "Well?! Do you?! I'll beat you both so badly that your fucking mothers won't be able to identify your bodies!"

One of the guys was backing away, but the other wasn't as easily deterred. "You don't look like you can do shit and your pussy boy toy could do even less." Mello howled with rage and swung at him. I pulled him back, wary of the officer standing not that far off, who I was sure would take the punks side over ours. Mello's advance and near connecting punch finally got through to him, cause they both scurried off.

I turned him towards me, though he was still staring in the teen's direction. "Mel," I prompted softly, and he finally turned towards me. I smiled and leaned up, kissing him softly. "It's okay. I don't care what they think of us."

"I don't like those fucking homophobes. They have no right to try and degrade us that way. We shouldn't have to deal with this shit," he growled.

"I'm willing to deal with it to be with you Mello," I told him. "Now come on, you wanted a fun day out right? Don't let them ruin it." I linked my arm with his, leaning against him. His muscles finally began to relax. He pulled his arm away from me, instead wrapping it around my waist. The cop narrowed his eyes a moment before turning away. Mello flipped him off and I laughed lightly, leaning into his touch as we continued down the path.

He seemed to calm down rather quickly as we walked along, chatting softly. "What should we do next?" I asked some time later as we were approaching the edge of the park.

"I don't know." He pulled out the camera and then his cellphone, checking the time. "It's past three. We could go out to eat, maybe a movie after?" I nodded, slowing my pace as he held the camera in front of us. He snapped a quick picture and I heard giggling coming for a few feet away.

There were two teenage girls not far away. The first one was sitting in a tree while the second stood at the base. Both were watching us. I felt Mello tense and I sincerely hoped that they were not going to bother us. Mello probably would snap and then he'd be in a bad mood for the rest of the day. The girl on the ground walked towards us. "Excuse me, could you take a picture of us in the tree?" she asked, holding out a camera. Mello just stared at her and she shifted uncomfortably. "I'll take a picture of you two for you."

"Sure," I said, taking the camera. I took their picture and then they both got down, taking the camera from Mello. He wrapped an arm around my waist then leaned in, kissing me softly on the lips. I turned towards him, snaking my arms around his neck and deepening the kiss. We broke apart several moments later, not breaking eye contact before turning abruptly towards the two girls. They said nothing, just handing us the camera before walking off. I looked through the pictures. They had taken three; one before the kiss, one during, and one of us gazing into each other's eyes.

I couldn't have asked for better pictures.

We ended up going out for a late lunch. It wasn't a fancy place but it was nice enough. After that we went to a movie. He kept his arm around my shoulders the whole time. We stayed until the credits were over, then went outside. It was getting chilly now. I curled up against Mello's side as he led us towards his bike. "Ready to head home?" he asked.

"Yeah. It's nearly nine and I'm sick of people."

The ride home was quick but cold with the wind, and I was chilled by the time we got home. We went inside and made hot chocolate the curled up together on the couch. We had the TV on but it was turned down low so we could talk.

"It was a good idea to go out," I told him. "It was fun."

"Yeah. We should do it again. It's so easy to get holed up in here and do nothing."

"It's not so bad staying in though. I get you all to myself," I teased, tilting my head up to kiss him. I felt him smile against my lips and he pulled back.

"True. It's not as if I have nothing to do here." He smirked.

I hummed in agreement, snaking my arms around his neck. "Yes that's true. So there are some merits to staying in."

His lips found mine again, more insistent now. He nipped at my lips and I opened my mouth, granting him entrance and allowing him to lower me to my back on the couch. He didn't pull back until both of us had grown short of breath, but he was smirking when he did. "Yes…I'd say there are some excellent merits to staying in."


	4. Christmas

**AN: Merry Christmas everyone! It is Christmas Eve (technically) and I hope you enjoy this fluffy Christmas update. They needed a happy Christmas don't you think? I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!**

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Chapter 4: Christmas

It was December twelfth, exactly two weeks until Christmas Eve, and I had finally dragged Mello out of the house to go buy our Christmas tree. Now don't get me wrong, I knew Mello wanted a tree…he just didn't seem particularly fond of tromping through a tree lot in the cold to find one.

"We're the only ones here and the tree lot guys are hiding in their car," he complained, arms wrapped around himself in an attempt to stay warm.

"It's okay," I said absentmindedly, looking one of the trees up and down.

"No it's really not," he argued. "Why can't we just get a fake tree? It's less mess and we never have to buy a tree again."

"It's not as Christmassy. There's no pine tree smell! It's not as traditional!"

"We can spray it with Pine-sol," Mello huffed.

"We're buying a real tree. Get over it," I told him, leaving no room for argument. A shiver passed through his frame and I walked over, pulling him into my arms and kissing him quickly. He couldn't help but smile, even though I saw him try not to, and grinning I pulled away, looking at the tree again. "Alright I want this one or the one on the other side of the lot. Carry this one over there so I can compare them side by side."

He stared at me blankly. "You're joking right?" he asked finally.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" I asked, putting my best serious face on for him. Mello was ready to argue to I cut him off quickly. "This is our first Christmas in our home and I want it to be perfect. Please Mels?" I pulled out the puppy dog eyes and he cringed.

"Fine," he conceded. I mentally patted myself on the back as he picked up the tree, groaning and complaining the entire way across the lot.

Once the trees were standing beside each other I examined both. They were both tall but not too tall, and full without being fat, and it was hard to pick between them. "Which one do you like Mello?"

"I have no opinion," he said, rolling his eyes. "Just pick one so we can get back in the car."

"Have a little more Christmas spirit," I told him, making my choice. He breathed out a sigh of release as I gestured toward the workers, who cut the bottom of the tree off and helped us strap it to the car. We got settled and Mello drove us home.

It took both of us a while to get the tree situated in the house but we managed. We stood back together to look at it, proud of our handiwork. "Well since it needs to settle before we can decorate it, we should go decorate the outside."

He glared at me. "Hey no way. Not happening. It's freezing out there. Don't pout at me!" he yelled, looking away. "It won't work, no fucking way. I'm not doing it and nothing you can do will make me!"

He kept ranting as I dodged into his sight, continuing to pout at him and cuddle against his side. "Not a lot Mels," I said when he finally paused for breath. "Nothing tacky, just a couple strands of lights around the window or something. I'll be out there with you the entire time and then we can come in and warm up in whatever way you deem necessary."

He gave in, like I knew he would. I am glad I learned to harness the power of the puppy dog eyes and pout.

/…/…/…/

I was dragging boxes into the living room when Mello came downstairs; still half asleep and not yet dressed or primped. He looked at the boxes blankly, his brilliant mind not fully up to par in the early hours of the morning. "Morning love," I said cheerily, pecking him on the lips before returning to the boxes. He just looked at me before obviously deciding not to ask and stumbling to the kitchen.

He emerged fifteen minutes later, nurturing a cup of coffee and looking more awake. "What are you doing up surrounded by boxes at seven in the morning?" he asked finally.

"Preparing to decorate of course," I told him.

He looked around the room. Nearly a dozen cardboard boxes were taking up a large chunk of space. "And we got all this stuff when?" he asked.

"I got it last week. That hardware store by the grocery store turns half the store into this Christmas thing and it has tons of decorations."

"Ah of course," he said sarcastically. "Can you at least wait a bit? It's too early for this."

"Will you help if I wait?" I asked.

He rolled his eyes. "I planned to help anyway. Now come keep me company while I make breakfast." I followed him into the kitchen obediently. I gave him space when he started but nuzzled into his neck as he started making eggs.

"It is hard to focus while you're all over me," he pointed out.

"I can't help that you're gorgeous," I informed him kissing his cheek. His cheeks reddened slightly and I chuckled, getting us drinks and sitting at the table as he brought the food over.

We ate quickly then began to decorate the tree, first stringing the lights and then moving on to ornaments. Much to Mello's dismay I had bought tinsel, and a lot of it, which I promptly began decorating the house with.

"The tinsel is for the tree Matt!" Mello yelled, trying to get it away from me. I grinned and danced out of his grip, tossing a handful in his face and hair. He shrieked and fell back, trying to untangle it from his hair. I laughed and continued on, tossing tinsel across the furniture until I was tackled to the floor by Mello. "You're cleaning it up," he told me.

"Fine you win," I said, handing it over. He helped me up and instead we began going through the multiple boxes of stuff I had bought. We had tons of new decorations and while neither of us were designers I think we found good spots for most of it, and the house was very festive by the time we were done.

We stood side by side in the doorway to the living room, admiring the tree from afar. "It looks good," Mello approved. I grinned and leaned close, nodding upwards towards the mistletoe above our heads. "Ah, a tradition I can really enjoy," he murmured before our lips met.

So far it was looking to be a very good Christmas.

/…/…/…/

A week later I decided it was time to bake cookies. It was Christmas and it simply had to be done. There were so many holiday cookies out there, but I knew I shouldn't go overboard since we wouldn't eat half of them. Instead Mello and I decided on two recipes, gingerbread men and toffee squares.

We mixed up dough for the gingerbread men first since the dough had to be refrigerated. It would take two hours before we could bake them so instead we mixed up the toffee squares. They didn't take long at all to finish and soon I was rolling out the dough for the gingerbread men.

"They're almost done baking, could you start making the icing?" I asked Mello as I checked on the cookies.

Mello had finished mixing the icing by the time the cookies were done, and we let them cool for a bit before beginning to decorate. Mello was impatient, and I admit it got a bit tiring after a while, but the end result was wonderful.

I left him then to wrap his gifts. I knew he'd probably be annoyed that I had bought him so much, but it was hard not to. I wasn't particularly skilled at wrapping but I liked to think they looked alright. I was surprised to see a small pile of gifts already under the tree when I brought his into the room.

"Why did you get me so much?" I asked him, setting his gifts under the tree.

"You're one to talk," Mello said, looking at his pile. "You bought just as much as me."

"Not the point," I told him, smiling.

We settled down on the couch to watch a Christmas movie, falling asleep curled together halfway through it.

The rest of the week passed quickly and before I knew it, it was Christmas Eve. We had eaten an early dinner and were now sipping eggnog, watching the snow fall outside. It had started off light but it was falling rather moderately now, and a sudden urge to go outside seized me. "Mello, let's go outside."

"It's snowing," he stated rather unnecessarily.

"Yes, that's the point," I told him, pulling myself out of his embrace and walking towards the hall. I had already pulled on my boots and coat by the time he caught up with me.

"It's cold and wet out there, and you'll get sick for Christmas and be miserable and I'll have to take care of your sick ass all day."

"It's about thirty degrees out. Plus we're not going sledding or anything, I just want to see it properly," I said as I pulled on a hat and gloves.

"You can see it through the window," he said, but he too was getting dressed for the wintery elements. I smiled and took his hand, leading him outside.

It was magical. It was dark and silent, nothing surrounding us except the snow. There was only a light wind, so the snow didn't sting upon impact. My smile widened as I pulled him farther into the snow, looking up at the sky.

I turned to look at them, noting the soft smile that had donned his lips. His eyes met mine and they melted me on the spot. To see so much love and care in those eyes on Christmas Eve in this beautiful snowfall…it was perfect. Snow had never been more romantic. We leaned in as one, lips meeting unhurriedly. His arms slid around my waist and mine trailed up his chest then around his neck. He tugged me closer but my foot slipped and I fell against him. The weight threw him off balance and we tumbled into the snow.

Both of us were laughing, and I leaned in for another kiss. I pulled back a few moments later, looking down at my angel, looking even more angelic lying in the freshly fallen snow. "This is so much better than our first Christmas," I told him.

He traced my cheek with his glove, the snow on it making me shiver slightly. "It was my first good Christmas," he said. "I'd never had someone to care about before then. I am glad that we can enjoy the snow now."

I shivered slightly, not from the cold, but from the memories of the street. That night we had escaped from the trailer and Mello had shown me his vulnerability for the first time…it was a frightening memory. It had been so cold and felt so hopeless…but here we were. Alive and well…and happy. I never imagined I could be so happy. "Yes," I agreed finally. "Now the snow is romantic." We continued to lie there a few more minutes before Mello complained of the cold and we went inside, leaving the snow behind. Instead we made hot chocolate and sat in front of the lit tree. We sat in silence for a while, simply sipping our drinks and relaxing.

"I love you," I said quietly some time later, when both our mugs were nearly empty.

He turned to me, a gentle smile playing across his lips as he leaned in to kiss me. His lips were soft and he tasted of chocolate and eggnog and a taste that was so uniquely Mello; and I melted against him. We broke apart and I curled up against his side, laying my head on his shoulder.

"I love you too."

/…/…/…/

"Merry Christmas Mello!"

He mumbled softly, turning away and curling into a ball. I had to admit it was cold, so I scooted closer, pulling him against me, strictly to help keep him warm of course.

"We wish you a Merry Christmas," I sang quietly in his ear. He chuckled and groaned at one time, which was intriguing to say the least, and slowly opened his eyes. He blinked up at me sleepily, pulling the blankets tighter around us.

"It's cold," he said finally.

"It's Christmas," I replied.

"Still cold. Bed warm. Stay here."

"Your ability to form sentences is absolutely pathetic when you've just woken up. Now sit up and let's go, there are presents to open!"

"Aren't we past the excited child stage of life yet?" he asked, but nonetheless he sat up, dragging the blankets with him.

"Obviously not. Now let's go, you need to see the amazing things I got you. I must say I am a wonderful shopper."

He followed me downstairs, where I sorted out the gifts. We took turns opening the gifts, one by one. He'd gotten me several games that had just been released, a couple new shirts and a video camera that I was excited to try out. My favorite gift though was the new pair of leather boots, black with zippers, laces, and chains. They must have cost him a fortune.

He seemed pleased with his new leather gloves and coat, as I knew he would be. The chocolate themed pajama pants made him laugh, which really had been the point all along. I had surprised him with the book, which I had seen him eyeing a few weeks ago when we were in town. Of course his favorite gift was the tin of assorted chocolates (which better last a while since they had cost a fortune).

We had a small breakfast, choosing instead to put on a Christmas movie to watch in the background as we fussed with our gifts. Mello was going through that chocolate much too quickly for my liking so I distracted him by suggesting we read the video camera instruction manual together.

It was nearly one by the time he started dinner, refusing to let me help since I may burn down the house. Instead I started a new game, and had made quite some progress by the time Mello called me in to eat.

The meal was delicious, and after a quick cleanup we spent the rest of the evening relaxing, cuddling on the couch and exchanging kisses. It was almost midnight by the time we retired to our rooms.

"This has been a good Christmas," I murmured sleepily, head nestled against his shoulder. He shifted slightly, placing a chaste kiss on the top of my head before settling against me again.

"It has been. It was a very successful holiday season."

I simply nodded, eyes heavy. I was sad to see the holiday end; it had been the best one I had ever had. The upside was that we could do this again…every year for the rest of our lives.

"Merry Christmas Mello. Love you," I muttered against his shoulder.

I dimly registered his reply of "Love you too, " before falling asleep.

I couldn't wait for next Christmas.


End file.
